Boone County man found beaten in downtown Charleston

(MCT) CHARLESTON — A Boone County man was in critical condition Friday after being found severely beaten in a downtown Charleston alley.

John Dolin, 37, of Peytona, was found in an alley behind the 200 block of Capitol Street about 6:30 a.m. Friday, said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief detective for the Charleston Police Department.

Cooper said Dolin’s wallet was found nearby, empty. “He was obviously robbed and beaten,” Cooper said.

Dolin was last seen at Sam’s Uptown Café at about 2:15 a.m., where he appeared to be alone, Cooper said. He said Metro 911 dispatchers got a report about a fight in the area at around the same time, but police responding to the call found nothing.

Cooper said Dolin suffered severe head trauma in the attack, but police have found no weapon. He said Dolin did not appear to have been shot or stabbed.

Police hope to find video surveillance footage from nearby businesses to try to determine who attacked Dolin. “At this point, we’re just hoping we can retrace the steps of the victim,” Cooper said.

Dolin was found in an alley that runs between Quarrier and Lee streets, about 50 feet from the Quarrier Street entrance, Cooper said. The spot is around the corner from Sam’s and about a block away.

Cooper said Friday morning that Dolin was in critical condition in the intensive care unit of CAMC General Hospital. A nursing supervisor said that Dolin remained in ICU under evaluation on Friday evening.